The Thick of It returning to BBC2 in Autumn 2012

GOOD news! Armando Iannucci’s award-winning political comedy The Thick Of It will return for a fourth series this autumn on BBC Two.

The series will be split into seven 30-minute episodes.

The BBC has pledged that the new series promises to feature “Government embarrassment, ministerial cock-ups, Coalition rows, backroom deals, policy U-turns, spin-doctoring, political back-stabbing, wild media speculation, and more time spent with one’s family”.

While Iannucci himself said: “This series takes The Thick of It into exciting and uncharted territory: a new Coalition Government, and Malcolm and Nicola fretting in the wings.

“For the first time too a storyline takes us all the way through the series right to the bitter, bitter end, with Government and Opposition convulsed in an incident that questions every political convention imaginable, but in a funny way.”

Rebecca Front and Peter Capaldi reprise their roles as Nicola Murray MP and foul-mouthed spin doctor Malcolm Tucker, while Chris Addison, Joanna Scanlan, James Smith, Olivia Poulet, Will Smith, Ben Willbond and Rebecca Gethings are also back in the fray.

Roger Allam also returns as Peter Mannion MP, the new Secretary of State for The Department of Social Affairs and Citizenship (DOSAC), who will be supported by a team of special advisors.

Vincent Franklin will play Stewart Pearson, No 10’s Director of Communications, and Geoffrey Streatfeild has been cast as new Coalition partner, DOSAC’s Junior Minister Fergus Williams MP.

BBC Two Controller Janice Hadlow said: “I am delighted to welcome The Thick Of It back to BBC Two. It is an essential part of the BBC Two comedy offering this year. A new Coalition government, what better time for a new series of The Thick Of It?”

Iannucci is also riding high off the successs of his US series Veep, which has recently been renewed for a second season and can be seen in the UK on Sky Atlantic on Monday nights.